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<title>Strife by SaucyWench</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22603066">Strife</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaucyWench/pseuds/SaucyWench'>SaucyWench</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Being Human (UK), The Almighty Johnsons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anders and his family don't get along, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 21:57:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22603066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaucyWench/pseuds/SaucyWench</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt 103:  “You would seriously sacrifice the lives of millions of people just for one person?” “In a heartbeat.”</p>
<p>Done for the GatheringFiki Winter Raffle Exchange!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anders Johnson/John Mitchell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>GatheringFiKi - Winter FRE 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Strife</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was no denying that Mitchell wore his heart on his sleeve.  Anders could read every emotion that flickered across his face.  So, when Mitchell trudged in the door when he came home from work, Anders took one look and knew something had happened.   </p>
<p>“Bad day?” Anders asked.   </p>
<p>Mitchell shrugged and rooted around in the refrigerator.  “I was working in the ED.” </p>
<p>Emergency department.  That had the potential to be rough for anyone, much less a vampire who tried to avoid blood.  Anders asked, “How was it?” </p>
<p>“Mostly quiet.  Only one accident came in, and everyone survived.”  Mitchell’s tone was nonchalant when he added, “I ran into Mike and Axl today.” </p>
<p>Anders fought a sigh.  “What did they do?” </p>
<p>Mitchell’s head popped up over the door of the refrigerator, eyes wide.  “Nothing!”  When Anders glared at him, Mitchell slumped and muttered, “Your family doesn’t like me much.” </p>
<p>“Why do you say that?”  When there was no response, Anders rose from the couch and went to the kitchen.  “Babe?  What happened?” </p>
<p>“It’s nothing.  Really.”  Mitchell shut the refrigerator and gave Anders a smile.  “What do you think about going out for dinner?  We can try that new Polynesian place.” </p>
<p>It was an obvious ploy to change the subject, but Anders nodded and let him do it.  He noted how Mitchell’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, though.   </p>
<p>*** </p>
<p>The next day, after work, Anders swung by Mike’s bar.  Axl and Ty were sitting at the bar, drinking and joking, while Mike was behind it, wiping the bar top with a rag like he thought it might grant him three wishes if he got it clean enough.  Olaf was nowhere to be seen, but that was fine. Ty greeted him while Mike poured a beer.  Axl didn’t say anything. </p>
<p>Anders sat at the bar and accepted the beer with a nod of thanks but didn’t drink it.  He twirled it between his palms and ignored his brothers’ chatter.  </p>
<p>Mike’s voice broke into his train of thought.  “You’re quiet today, Anders.” </p>
<p>Anders set the beer down with a thump and turned to look at all of them.  “Mitchell’s not going anywhere.” </p>
<p>“Excuse me?” Mike asked.   </p>
<p>“You heard me.  Mitchell’s here to stay, for now anyway.  He and I are a couple, he’s my boyfriend, partner, whatever you want to call it.  We live together.  He’s not going anywhere, so get used to it.” </p>
<p>Ty started to grin, ready to tease no doubt, until he realized he was the only one.  He looked back and forth between Mike and Anders and asked, “Did something happen?” </p>
<p>Anders stared at Axl as he answered, “I don’t know.  Mitchell won’t say.  But I know that he ran into you two and came home miserable.  He thinks you don’t like him.” </p>
<p>Mike shrugged, and Axl took a long drink.  Anders waited, but they had no other reaction.  </p>
<p>“Right,” Anders muttered.  He didn’t know what he expected, but he was disappointed.  Whatever.  “I don’t know what you did, but I’m telling you, it stops now.” </p>
<p>“I’m sure it was a misunderstanding,” Ty said. </p>
<p>Anders shook his head.  “I don’t care.  It stops now.” </p>
<p>Axl turned to Anders with a sneer.  “Or what?” </p>
<p>“What?” </p>
<p>Axl’s voice turned cloying with false sympathy.  “We hurt Mitchell’s widdle feelings, boo hoo.”  He dropped the act and turned back to his beer.  “What are you going to do about it?” </p>
<p>A flash of anger washed over Anders, so hot that he thought his clothing might catch on fire.  After it passed, though, he was just tired.  Tired of how Axl had turned into such a prick since he became Odin.  Tired of always arguing with him.  Tired of being dismissed by his family.  Tired of all the god business, and the bullshit that entailed.   </p>
<p>“We’ll leave.”  When they looked him, Anders nodded.  “I can’t demand you like Mitchell, but you can at least respect him.  If you can’t do that, we’ll move somewhere else.  You can get along without Bragi.”  He knew they didn’t care about him, but the loss of Bragi would be painful.  </p>
<p>Mike scoffed and said, “Don’t be ridiculous.  You know what will happen if Axl doesn’t find his Frigg.  It would be a disaster.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, I know.”  Anders took a drink from his neglected beer.   </p>
<p>“You’re being melodramatic,” Axl said as he rolled his eyes.  “You would seriously sacrifice the lives of millions of people just for one person?” </p>
<p>Anders turned to him and let all the hurt and anger show on his face.  Not only that, but the exhaustion he felt from constantly having to clean up his family’s messes, then get nothing but derision for his troubles.  He had tolerated it for years, and he was just done.  He took another swallow, then nodded.  “In a heartbeat.” </p>
<p>Axl’s look turned considering, but Anders was sick of this whole conversation.  He wasn’t going to stick around any longer and debate if he and his boyfriend had the right to be treated like human beings, whether or not they were strictly human.  </p>
<p>No one said anything as Anders rose and slipped out of the door.  That was fine with him.   </p>
<p>His family would act decently, or they wouldn’t.  They were all adults and it was out of his control.  Either way, they would have to live with the consequences.   </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading, kudos, and comments!  </p>
<p>As always, I am over at Tumblr.  Feel free to leave a prompt, tell me about your headcanons, or just say hi! </p>
<p>  <a href="http://myseri.tumblr.com/">
   [My personal blog]
  </a><br/><a href="http://saucywenchwritingblog.tumblr.com/">[My writing blog]</a><br/></p></blockquote></div></div>
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